


I Remember

by BrownSugarC



Category: NCIS: New Orleans
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-03 19:31:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16332107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrownSugarC/pseuds/BrownSugarC
Summary: Chris LaSalle was caught in between a rock and a hard place.  His team mate Tammy Gregorio was really worried about him and reached out to two people that she knew who loved him – Duane Pride and Sonja Percy.  Who knows where this story will end.





	1. The Phone Call

“Hello Chris?  This is Sonja Percy.  I had a message here from Tammy to call you.  To be honest I’m a little confuse.  She said that you had something to tell me.  Something about home?”

“Hey Percy.  I’m not sure which one of us got played.  Yes.  I have an intense situation going on at home.  And you know Tammy.  She always wanted to make more of our relationship than was there.”

“So how are you Percy?”

She goes on and on for about three minutes.

“Wait Chris.  Tammy added that she thinks you need me.  You have had my back too many times Chris for me not to contact you.  Tell me what’s really going on.”

“Hell Sonja.  I can’t even begin to understand it myself.  Remember just before you left?  King told me that Isler warned him that someone was after him.  He later found out that it emanated from Washington.  Someone wanted him out of New Orleans.  Then a few months later an assassin tried to kill him and almost did.”

“During that time I got waylaid by the IRS about the business.  They are supposed to give me the results of the audit tomorrow.”

“How do you think it will go?”  Percy further inquires.  “Do you know what they found?”

“No, Percy.  They haven’t said a word.  Just gave me a meeting time downtown.”

“Are you sure that there is nothing I can do?  I could put on a suit and look cute while I hold your hand.”

“Funny Percy.  Just hearing your voice is comforting though.  I miss your being silly Percy.”

“I miss you too Country Mouse.”

“Really Percy or are you just saying that?”

“No, Chris, I miss you.  I miss you all.”

“But me the most right?  Percy.  Percy are you still there?”

“Yeah I’m here.”

“Are you crying?”

“No. Yes. I don’t know why though.  Oh that’s not true.  I do miss you Country Mouse.  Very much.  I miss the security of having you having my back.  I miss your corny jokes.  I miss your walk.  I miss your smile.  And I miss your voice and that country drawl.”

“I miss you too Percy.  I mean Sonja.  Some nights I lay in bed and think of all the things that I should have told you before and after I found out that you were leaving.  Then other times I try to remember the smell of the shampoo in your hair and your perfume in the truck.”

“I’ll tell you what Chris.  I want you to call me either way, but if it’s bad news think about what you want to say and give me a call.  I have a few days next week.  Maybe we can put our heads together and see where you need to go.”

“That’s kind of you Sonja.  Let’s just see how it goes.”

“Sonja.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you for calling and thank you for be concerned.”

“Sure Chris.  Take care.”

_Later that day_

“Hey Tammy I thought I would check in with you before I left for the day.  Oh by the way, I received the strangest call from Percy.  You’re doing right?”

“Well yes.  Are you upset with me?”

“I should be but actually I felt better after speaking with her.”

“That’s good.  That was part of the plan.”

“And the rest?”

“Look Chris sometimes you just need the perspective of a female to help you see straight.  You get into the mission mode and forget that others seriously care about you.  I know that Percy loves you and would want to help where she could.”

“Does what?”

“Oh crap.  Well, that slipped out but yes the right word is loves you or at least at one time she did very much.”

“And how would you know that Tammy?”

“Her words?  Her actions?  Her tears?”

“Tears?  How would you know that Gregorio?”

“Because our bedrooms shared a wall and I could hear her crying at night.  When she came back from that time away the first time I confronted her.  I knew that she cared for you but I had no idea that she had actually fallen in love with you.”

“Look LaSalle.  You have enough on your mind.  Just go home.  Face the Feds tomorrow and see what you are up against.  Know that we are here standing behind you and hoping for the best.”

“Alright Tammy.  Take care. Bye now.”


	2. The Follow Up

“Chris?  This is Percy.  Sorry I couldn’t wait any longer for you to call.  It’s been four days.  How did it go?”

“Well, you won’t believe it Percy.  There was $8 million missing but King and Triple P helped me find it.  My father did siphon it off but actually gave it back to his employees.”

“So what happens now?”

“I’m going to sell the plant and the proceeds should take care of the tax debt.”

“I’m glad Chris.  It must be a weight off you.”

“Yes it is but this whole thing exposed something else.”

“What would that be?”

“That I miss you.  You said that you had some time next week.”

“Yes I did.”

“I have to fly down to the plant next week to do a walk through with the appraisers.  Why don’t you meet me there?”

“Why would I do that?  You’re in the clear.  You don’t need me.”

“Come on Percy.  You told me a long time ago that you wanted to see that island of Cade’s and to ride some horses.  Plus you never ate so good until you went outside and plucked your own peach from the tree and ate it. What do you say?  I’ll even pay for your ticket.”

“Guess I can’t turn a free trip down.  Send me the details and call me later.”

“Okay Percy.  I’ll talk to you tonight.”


	3. Alabama Bound

I just know that I don’t have butterflies!   I’m on my way to Alabama to ride a horse!  Oh girl, give it up.  You’re regretting this and the plane just took off.  I’ve spent fourteen months trying to forget Christopher LaSalle and the first time he calls I jump on a plane.  I have got to be nuts and now I have some explaining to do to the guy I stood up Friday night trying to get my desk cleared off so I could take the week off.

And there’s that woman slaying smile now.  “Hey Chris.” 

“Thanks for coming Percy.  You need to go over there to retrieve your weapon. Hey, I didn’t know where you might want to stay.  I would think with all your traveling that you get tired of hotels so I asked Miss Rose if we could stay at the ranch for a few days.  I still use my daddy’s office there. Plus there is a pool available and Maria’s cooking.  Don’t worry she said that she could do vegan for you.”

“That would be all right.  I didn’t bring a suit though.” 

“That’s okay.  We can run into town real quick and pick you up one on the way back from the plant tomorrow.”

“So how are you hanging in here Chris?”

“Okay.  I’m still a little in shock.  I guess it took my father’s death for me to realize just what a good man he really was.  I just saw him as a strict father but I should have known better.  Actually I should have known that my mother had good sense.  She wouldn’t have just married anyone.  He would have to be honest.”

“Oh my” Percy exclaimed as we turned off the main road.  “Chris that’s like a story book!”  Look at the ponies! And the grass.  It’s so blue that it looks fake.

“Well, you have to know my father.  He had to have the best.  At least he had enough sense to put the ranch in Rose’s name.  They have crops and horses spread out over 40 acres. Cade and I use to hunt on the north 20.  I’m sure the deer miss us badly.  We took as many as we could and turned the meat over to local feeding programs.”

“Hello Rose.  I say as we come through the front door.  “This is my friend Sonja Percy.”

“Welcome Miss Sonja.  It’s nice to meet you.  I’m so glad that Chris has such a good friend that you would come all this way to stand beside him.  Chris, we are putting Miss Sonja up in your sister’s room.  Charles will put her bag up there.  I’m guessing you might want to freshen up dear.  Christopher can show you to your room.  We’ll eat at 6 if that’s okay Christopher?”

“Yes ma’am that will be fine.”

“Percy here’s your room.  We ‘dress’ for dinner.  There is enough time for you rest for a while before we change.”

“Is there somewhere where we can talk Chris?”  Percy asks.

“Sure.  Your room or mine?”

“It doesn’t matter.  Let’s go into mine.”

“Look Percy, don’t think me forward but I would really like to lie down.”

“Okay, come on.  So everything really did go okay with the audit?”

“Well yes and no but King helped me figure out a solution to the situation.  I’ll fly back next week to sign the paperwork for the sale.

Enough about me.  Tell me about your job.”

“Why are you looking at me like that LaSalle?”

“Oh, I had forgotten how your shampoo smelt on you.”

“Gee Chris. Embarrass me.

I love my job.  I have already been to – let me count, eight countries.  While it’s exciting, I am not always at ease.  I never know who I am going to be partnered with.  It’s not like at NCIS where I always knew that you had my back.  And then there are the very long flights.”

“That goes both ways Percy.” I interject.

“Nothing like riding in your truck all day.  Remember those times when we would see who could count the most pick pockets who walked by us?  Chris.  Chris?  I know you did not fall asleep on me talking.  Oh well, I might as well join you.”

A knock at the door wakes us up. 

“Master Christopher?” I hear a quiet voice whisper “Master Christopher.”

 “I’m awake thanks.” I respond.

“Chris, Chris wake up.  Chris let go of me.”

“What?”

“You fell asleep and somehow pulled me into your arms.  Let me go!”

“Oh, I’m sorry Percy.  I’m guessing that you smelled too good to ignore.”

“Real funny Chris.  I think I still have the time to take a quick shower.”

“With your soap?”

“Yes, funny man with my soap.

“Okay, I’ll see you downstairs.  You have a half an hour.”

_Later downstairs_

“Well there’s something I haven’t seen for a long time.”

“What’s that?”

“Your legs.”

“I don’t look like a southern bell?  That’s what I was going for.”

“Well, yes but it’s not you Percy!”

“I wouldn’t want to embarrass you Chris.”

“Good evening Sonja.  I hope everything was okay in your room.”

“Yes Miss Rose, just fine.  The bed was so soft.  It was so easy to fall asleep right Chris.”

“We’ll wait just a few minutes.  I thought Rachel was going to dine with us.  Let me call her.  Oh, there are some lights.  That must be her.

“Anderson can you tell Marie that we are ready to eat.”

“Hello Rachel.”  

“Good evening Miss Rose.  I’m sorry to be late.  I was just finishing up the sale documents.  Hello Chris and…”

“This is Sonja Percy Rachel, my guest.”

“We met in New Orleans Rachel.” Percy says with a snarky voice that even caught my attention. 

“Here Sonja, sit by me.” I say as I pull out her chair

Dinner started out quiet but Rachel soon filled the space with her rote conversation until Rose stopped her cold. 

“So tell me Miss Sonja.  Where do you hail from?”  And the focus turned to Sonja just that quickly.  Rose was enthralled by Percy’s work history.

Rachelle soon excused herself expressing her fatigue and how she wanted to be rested up for the buyers tomorrow.  Sonja and I went out to the pool after dinner.

“So what did you think of your meal?” 

“Well, I can’t wait to eat the peaches because the vegetables were delicious.  I went back into the kitchen to tell Marie how good the food was and she opened the back door and showed me her garden.  She had just picked most of the items on the table.  They were divine and cooked just to the right temperature to enhance the flavor.”

Just then Anderson came out to refresh our drinks.

“Feel like dancing Percy?” 

“Well, I guess so.”

I quickly programmed in some Aretha Franklin ‘covers’ that I found listed right after she passed away.

“Isn’t this Aretha Franklin?” Percy asks.

“Yes, you would not believe how many songs of other artist that she ‘covered’.” 

We danced for a long while and this time when I went in to kiss her, she did not turn away.  The kiss was as sweet as I could have imagined.  I just pulled her closer and we swayed for a long time.  I finally had to say that I needed to retire. “I have a long day tomorrow Sonja.  Oh by the way, Marie found a swim suit hanging in my sister’s closet that you might be able to wear.  I thought we could go horseback riding tomorrow if you would like also.”

“Oh yes, I would like that”

I gave Sonja one last kiss at her door and went to find the ‘sandman’ again.

Marie cooked me her fabulous steak and eggs.  Sonja and I arrived at the plant just before 9.  The tour went well and the buyer was more than pleased with the condition of the plant and price.

Sonja and I came back to the farm and spent about an hour floating in the pool.  Well she floated while I swam laps.  “LaSalle let me give you a lesson today.  Black women do not get their hair wet unless the boat is sinking.”  I gave her this look and Sonja just rolled eyes with that look on her face ‘just try me’.  Marie and Anderson had the grill going.  The pork was delicious.  As much as New Orleans had their own methods, there was nothing like meat cooked on the hardwood of Alabama trees to give flavor to meet especially pork and chicken.

Sonja and I sat up laughing and talking well past midnight.  She found a small spot on my lounge chair and never moved an inch.  Unbeknownst to her, the closeness of her body made it a little difficult for me to sit that near her and I was more than ready for a cold shower by the time I got back to my room.

We spent all day outside on Saturday.  We were up early to ride horseback.  I took Sonja to another breath taking location of the farm.  Her kisses were as sweet as honey.  We made up for the lost time of our separation walking through the woods.  I told her things that I had never told anyone else.  While Cade and I were close, there are just somethings that are too personal when two males are talking. 

One part of the meadow was covered with blue bells which were Savannah’s favorite flowers.  I turned away quickly and tried to walk away but Sonja heard the hurt in my voice and made me face her.  What Country Mouse?  What’s wrong?  As I tried to tell her, a mountain of tears erupted from my eyes.  Sonja listened quietly finally embracing me and allowing me to freely cry.

Every piece of the land reminded me of something.  I had no idea that being with her in this place would be so liberating.  I didn’t need Tammy telling me how Sonja felt about me.  Sonja generously showed it.  To be honest I had no idea that she, the rough tough gun toting agent could be this kind and loving.  As I look back now, I certainly was the biggest benefactor to her being with me at this time in our friendship. 

The other woman in my life saw it too.  We had a late lunch with momma.  “It’s good to see you so happy son.  That woman must mean something to you.”

“What momma.  How did you know?”

“I can see it in your face.  I can see it in how you look at her.  It touches my heart to see you respond to her in this manner.”  You need someone to love son.  You are a kind and decent man.  Not all women could be comfortable with you having such a dangerous job.  And with her being a cop too, I’m guessing that she supports you in ways that other women couldn’t begin to or begin to understand your dedication to the job.”

“No momma I suspect that they couldn’t.  This just happened.  I had no idea of the depth of her feelings for me.  I have thought about her for months.  I screwed up by letting her leave and not telling her that I wanted to see if we could have something.  Stupid me just slammed the door shut and wouldn’t even peek through a crack.  Now she’s a thousand miles away building a new life and new career while I’m sulking in New Orleans.”

Sunday we talked about meeting up again and decided that I would come to D.C.  While we had planned for three weeks Sonja was firm that she never knew what her schedule would be.  We figured out a code so that we could talk over the phone without giving away her mission.  Any time she mentioned Fisherman’s Wharf was a clue to me that she would be going dark for a while.  Her shrimp order, the actual number of shrimp told me how many weeks that she would be gone.  I was not ready for her to be gone six weeks but that it what it looked like.

We talked at least once a day until that time and when the word sayonara was used in a comment and I knew that she would be leaving tomorrow.

Fortunately for me the time passed quickly because we picked up three case right in a row.  Funny how Tammy knew not to ask me any questions during that time.  She made sure that I didn’t sit and sulk at the house during my off hours.  Leila asked me to dinner again and I also went to see her son in a concert.  While it was nice to be with someone from home, my mind was focused on Sonja Percy, her safety and her sweet smile.  I missed her terribly this time out in the open.

Then suddenly one day there was a “ding” on my phone.  She had just landed and wanted to make sure that it was okay to call later that evening.


	4. And So On

You would have thought that I was going to see the President.  I was so jumpy then excited to finally be boarding the plane to D. C.

I have no idea where this is going.  I was surprised that Percy even let me kiss her while she was in Alabama much less inviting me to come to see her in D. C.

It was late Thursday night in D. C. since I flew against the two time zones.  Percy smiled broadly telling me in the car that she wore a dress so that I could see her legs again.

We quickly walked to the secured room to get my weapon.  I knew there were to others on the plane with me and hoped that I wouldn’t be at the end of the line.

Percy didn’t live that far from the airport.  I ate on the plane so we headed directly to her condo.  Her condo was gorgeous.   I guess that is a feminine term but it defined the unit.  You could see the moon light bouncing off the Potomac out the panel of windows on the east side.

We sat down to talk after I put my suitcase in the guest room.  Sonja was kind of enough to track down my favorite beer while she freely filled her own glass with wine.  The longer we talked it seemed the closer I was able to move to her.  We must have both fallen asleep because Sonja poked me about 3 a.m. and we both went to our own bedroom.

We had talked about all the things I wanted to see so we took off early Friday morning to go to Arlington.  Sad and beautiful pretty much described it.   After the Tomb of the Unknown we went to find the graves of the Kennedy brothers and others that we had read about in the in the history books.  We were able to cool down while visiting the Woman’s War Memorial then launched the long walk over to the Marine Monument. 

There is a subway stop right outside of Arlington.  It was everything I could do not to doze off on the soothing ride of the rails.  We stopped to eat at the ‘Shake Shack’ while we were in Union Station on the way back to the condo.  One more location to check off my list.

Back at the condo Percy disappeared into her room.  About an hour later, I quietly knocked on her door.  Cracking it open, I could see her lying on her bed.  Evidentially she had just ‘crashed out’.  I went to cover her up only to have her grab my arm and pull me into her bed.  “Sonja let go” I said to no avail.  “Come on LaSalle, quit playing with me” she said still asleep.  So I just went along with her and joined her.  It was still dark when I awoke to a combative Sonja Percy.  ‘What the hell are you doing?’ she shouted.   “Sonja stop.  You’re the one who pulled me into the bed.”  It was only then that she fully woke up, sat up and turned on the light by her bed.  “Oh, Chris” she exclaimed.  ‘I was dreaming.  I was on a mission in Greece and the suspect had grabbed me.  I am so sorry.”

“So does this mean that I have to leave your bed?” I asked.  Sonja looked dumb founded.  “Well, only if you want” she softly responded, “but I need to take care of something first.”  I heard the shower come on.  I wasn’t going to just lie there, so I went into my room, got my pajamas and came back to join her.  While she looked surprised, she did nothing to hinder me from joining her.

The water washed away months, no years, of me secretly desiring her.  From her response, she was thinking the same thing.  Slowly we moved from the bathroom to her bed staying there until late Saturday morning when hunger for food got the best of me.  Percy pointed to the fridge as she put the coffee on.  We ate breakfast or by then lunch and moved right back into the bedroom.

Sonja had an office function that night.  I hadn’t worn my tux for years but it still fit like body armor.  My ‘date’ starting laughing at me stating that I look too much like a T-man for her to be seen with.  I was still wondering at 11 p.m. exactly where her side arm was stashed giving the barely there attire that she was wearing.  That dress fell off very quickly to the floor as soon as the front door closed upon our return to the condo. 

Sunday we went to a football game joining some of Sonja’s office mates.  I noticed one guy particularly giving me the evil eye and had the occasion to be grilled by him at half time when the ladies left the bleachers.  Evidentially Sonja had said nothing about the fact that I would be coming along and who I was.  It took me great pleasure to see him finally figure out that I was not only Sonja’s former partner but the “LaSalle” of the LaSalle Oil.

Sonja came back and sat in my lap with the goal of warming up and for some reason was intent on trying to light my fire while sitting in my lap.  I glanced up at him and saw the look of intense envy in his face.

I had taken care not to drink too much at the game as not to diminish my time with Sonja.  It had been a very long time that I had made love to a woman who I cared so much about and I wanted nothing to interfere with that.

Monday was a federal holiday and we just lounged around the condo all day as we both packed our suitcases. I took the red eye out late Monday night back toward the West coast.  Sonja cried and that should have made me sad but the fact that she was so upset gladden my heart.  This meant she ‘really’ didn’t want me to go.

I hugged her tightly and whispered “keep your head down City Mouse”.  I’ll be waiting to hear from you.  She called Tuesday night then Wednesday night signed off with our agreed upon quotation.  I had no idea if she would return to me again.  I hated it.  Leila called two days later to invite me to dinner.  Sorry Leila not this time.  The love bug had bitten I realized.  I don’t know how I will ever get over this.


	5. Once Upon A Dream

And so it goes, there was ‘my lady’ back in one piece.  “I need to call you tomorrow” she said.  “It will need to be a secure call.”  We just talked generic things that night about the football team, ‘Nola staff and the farm.

The next day she could be more specific.  “I’m going on a training mission and I would like to meet you somewhere in Europe afterwards.  I’ll let you pick the place okay?”

Tammy threw out all kind of suggestions.  I finally decided on Amsterdam.  We actually did the tourist things while there.  In fact I found out one night while lying in bed with her that this was one of the safer places for her.  Sonja mentioned several times how secure she felt but attributed most of it to the fact that she was once again with me who she trusted more than anyone to have her back.  For some reason the ‘bad guys’ were not as invested in The Netherlands. 

Saturday we saw a wedding party.  “You know Sonja that could be us” I said.  Her eyes got big and with her mouth wide open I said “yes, Sonja Percy, I want you to be my wife.”  She screamed as I twirled her around and then kissed her hard.  “I’ll buy you a ring when we get back to the States” I said. 

Severely jet lagged, we stopped at a jewelry store.  The Uber driver was a little pissed when he realized that we were not going directly to the condo which would have been a higher fare.  There was no need for him to wait.  I knew Sonja Percy and this was going to be a marathon trying to find the right ring for my prissy new fiancée.  I think she tried on every ring and even then had to leave it at the store to be sized.  I got down on my knee and put the ring on her finger.  The sales person went along with Sonja’s demands at getting a photograph from every angle.  I tipped him royally as my bride to be had really been a royal pain in the butt.

Not finished with the romantic jesters, I sent Sonja a recording of the scene of Cinderella’s “Once upon a dream” where Cinderella met Prince Charming from my phone as I walked down the plank way to my plane to New Orleans.  Sonja told me later that night that she started crying right there in the terminal as it played.

When and where to get married was a major decision but where to live was a discussion we danced around for a long time.  Finally I broached the issue by asking her if she knew any real estate agents in Washington, D. C.  Once the ice was broken about a house it was a forgone conclusion that I would be the one relocating. 

I talked to King first and while he volunteered to tell the rest of the team, I was the messenger.  Tammy and Loretta seemed to be the only ones who were really happy for me.  The fellows seemed to put on a good front but in I think in the back of their minds they seemed to think that I had ‘caved’. 

While I loved New Orleans, it was the job in law enforcement that enticed me.  Sonja’s job only existed in one place.  It was everything she ever wanted.  And even though I would remain concerned about her safety every day for the rest of our lives, this is what she had chosen to do.


	6. Our Life Moves Along

The day for the wedding came quick.  Sonja had a few days early on and came out to help me pack and to say good bye to Tammy and Loretta and the rest of the team face to face.  Regardless of what they said there was still some distance between her and King.

We decided to stay in her condo until I found a new job as some jurisdictions require you to live within a certain distance of your duty station.  As with most jobs, who you know came into play when I was looking.  In the end I had a choice between a position with another NCIS team and one with the U.S. Marshall's which I ended up taking.  Working in the Admiralty Division allowed me to stay in contact with the ‘water’ which I loved. Having the personal recommendation of the NCIS Director was a ‘shoe in’.

Once the new position was secured, the house hunting effort began in earnest.  We found a beautiful home within a short distance of the metro allowing Sonja to take the train into the city every day.  It came with a ‘mother in law suite’ which would be able to accommodate a live in nanny which we would no doubt need later on down the line.

The wedding had been an endeavor that I had not looked forward to.  We decided on a destination wedding and went to The Palms at Pelican Cove in St. Croix.  With the back ground of the Caribbean Sea among the surf and turf we were married surrounded by our dearest friends and family.

I could never say out loud that the conception of our first child was an accident around Sonja but it was.  I was able to catch a ‘military hop’ to Brussels on an unscheduled Air Force flight.  I was supposed to bring some pharmaceutical items for Sonja but left them on the counter at the house.  The reduced protection rate of 85% that we substituted for our birth control resulted in a pregnancy.  Christopher Michael was born on a snowy December morning on the last day of the year.

Momma came up to help me with our son.  We had planned to wait four years for the first child but then decided to go ahead and have a second child sooner than later.  Elizabeth Ann was born just three years after Chris.  Lizzie did not take the separation away from her mother as well as her brother did.  There was no doubt to her who Sonja was and when she was in the house, they were joined at the hip.  

I did put my foot down, however, at having a family bed.  The lock on our door functioned every night except when we had a sick little one.  Unlike Sonja, I had read all of the parenting books.  I knew the rules and I knew if I slipped on one I might never recover from the situation.

More than once I found Lizzie asleep on the floor outside of our bedroom when she apparently could not get the door opened.  I never told Sonja because I had figured out that she would be the one to give in.  I just made sure that momma or I were the first ones up and carried the sleeping child back to his or her bed.  I knew I had done the right thing keeping it to myself when Sonja got pissed when I told the story to subordinate of mine when he brought his first child home.  She had no idea and to this day will tell you that I was wrong.

I still can’t tell you where those first five years went but I found myself thunderstruck at the fact that it was time for Chris Junior to go to kindergarten.  Fiercely independent, he stopped at the front door of the school the first day, turned and shook my hand, and walked erectly down the hallway to his class.  Sniveling me noticed that he didn’t even turn around for reassurance.

Chris was an excellent student.  The principal wanted to skip him right to second grade but momma protested.  “He needs to firm up his social skills” she stated.  “They can just give him extra work to do to challenge his mind”.  I went with momma’s advice.  The situation ‘played out when Chris went to middle school.  Since neither Sonja nor myself were large in stature, even at 13 he was smaller than most of classmates.  Quick as a whip like his mother, he started basketball and played point guard all the way through his senior year in high school. He was named all-Conference and the team’s MVP his senior year.

Elizabeth was a ‘girly, girl ‘who was way too influenced by her grandmother.  She had a flair about her even when she was little.  I would often catch her in Sonja’s portion of the closet.  She loved clothes and often went shopping with her mother. 

I would like to think that my work influenced her interest in the hard sciences.  Biology was her favorite subject.  Miss Loretta came to visit when she was ten and they disappeared into their own world for the entire week. I would observe her on line with Loretta night after night as she worked on her homework and science projects.  I could hardly complain since it filled up any time that she could have had watching television.  Once she took her ACTs, the mailbox filled up with scholarship offers.  Lizzie took it all in stride and finally decided on MIT for her undergrad work.

Later in our lives I found myself loving to introduce my daughter as Dr. Elizabeth LaSalle Johnson.  Beth as she now preferred to be called lectured all over the world on ecological disasters. We convinced her and her husband to build a home on momma’s farm giving us constant access to our grandchildren.

Christopher followed us right into the family business and became an Alabama State Trooper.  He also built a home on the land.  We enjoyed hunting together on the north forty of my father’s land too.  The deer were plentiful and I continued the practice of providing game for the local food pantries and some of the older citizens in town.  His twins presented a problem to me and seemed to thrive on confusing Pop Pop which one was which.  Sonja on the other hand could tell which one was which by the way they walked.  And then of course one was right handed and one was left handed.

How our relationship could have gotten any stronger surprised me but it seemed the longer we were married, the closer that Sonja and I became.  Remembering how concerned that Sonja was about my early years with my father, Savannah’s death and my ongoing challenges with Cade’s mental health issues, I wanted to reciprocate the attentiveness to past hurts in Sonja’s life. 

I took the time to visit the National Museum of African American History & Culture in D. C. with Sonja.  It only seemed reasonable after the third time that Sonja was subject to a racial slur right while I was standing there.  I was ready to pummel the first man but little bitty Sonja stepped in between us.  I have never been able to discover the source of the hate toward my wife and later on to my children.  I had a lot of conversations with Ms. Loretta outside of Sonja’s hearing.  I just didn’t get it and it was made even more difficult every time that my wife or my little girl were reduced to tears.

Three trips to the museum caused both pain and joy as we discovered the life experience of an extraordinary people.  All three nights Sonja wept in my arms.  I felt so helpless that I could do nothing to make right what we had witnessed and continued to see played out on our television screens each night.

My heart skipped a beat every time Sonja walked through the door of our home or down the ramp of the airport after a mission.  I never knew how an assignment would go or even what the operation was.  Occasionally she could share with me where she was going.  One evening while at an event I complained to Isler about not knowing where she was.  Isler looked me straight in the eye and told me “she doesn’t tell you LaSalle.  She knows that you would worry yourself to death.  Just know this Agent LaSalle, your wife has saved more lives that you will ever know.”  It was never easy but when I wanted to lament about it I would call Tammy or momma and cry. 

Because of my clearance, I was able to attend the remembrance gatherings of the five agents that Sonja knew who were killed while on assignment.  It gave me no consolation but I went with Sonja to comfort her while I held back my own tears wondering ‘what if’.

It did finally get to me though.  I joined a support group for Navy spouses.  They readily accepted me as one of their own.  Several of the spouses/significant others were males allowing me not to feel out of place.  It seemed to help Lizzie as well.  Often she missed Sonja so much that she would just get into my lap and ‘sing/song’ for a long while.  Many nights I would check on her and find her crying.  I would gather her up in my arms and rock her trusting that she would finally doze off.  Some mornings I awoke with her staring at me or rather Sonja’s place in our bed.

Sonja retired earlier than me as she reached her 20 year mark as a federal employee sooner.  The long plane rides had made her weary.  The children were now in their teens and Sonja wanted to be able to interact with them more.  It was at this time that I was really happy that momma made me keep some of the LaSalle industry sale money for myself.  We had paid the mortgage off at year 15.  The children had trust funds of their own to pay for their college expenses.  Years later when we built the home in Alabama we only had to pay for the construction as the land belong to momma free and clear.

After I retired we spent our time traveling in the United States to all those historical sites that we had read about in American history.  Sonja said that she wouldn’t care if she ever boarded another airplane.

We recently flew back to D.C. to attend the retirement of an agent that Sonja had trained.  I sat stunned as he described a now declassified incident telling us how Sonja single handedly saved the entire team with her quick thinking.  It was a long ride back to hotel.  Once again I heard those words come from her lips “you mad at me?”  Those were the same words she spoke when we talked when she left New Orleans.  “No City mouse.  No more angry than when you said them all those years ago.  You had a job to do and from what I just heard, you did it well.”

I held my wife tight that night too.  I was too quiet and should have known that I could not fool my Sonja.  “Go ahead Butch.  Cry if you need to.  I’ll always be here to wipe away your tears.” And so I did freely in the safety of the arms of my precious one.

What a lucky man you are Christopher LaSalle to have found your lost love and corrected your mistake I thought as I drifted off to sleep.  Tomorrow will certainly be another joyous day with her by my side.


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